James Francis Cagney was born on 17th July 1899 and became famous for the tough gangster roles that he played during the 1930s and 1940s, although, ironically, Cagney's first job as an entertainer was as a female dancer in a chorus line! Although he is remembered for the line "You dirty rat!", Cagney never actually said it in any of his films.

James Cagney was voted the 14th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly and unlike many of his contemporaries, was married for 64 years, only parted by his death on 30th March 1986 following a heart attack.